Aber der Himmel Faellt
by QueenStrata
Summary: AU. Axel/Roxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.
1. Eins

A/N: Okay, I'm posting something that was originally going to be a one-shot because I've recently found myself completely unmotivated to write. Hopefully this will get me in gear. At any rate, this is a bit of an experiment: there are going to be exactly eight chapters (that was actually an accident), each one switching between time frames. The first chapter is what's happening in the 'present'; the second chapter is what already happened in the 'past', and so on and so forth. They're not all going to be this short (chapter six will be by far the longest), so…just think of this one as a bit of a teaser?

And finally: the title is in German, and translates to "But Heaven Falls". Why is it in German, you ask? Because I can't conjugate Latin properly, but I retained something from five years of not paying attention in German class. (For the record, I had to count to twenty-one in German to remember whether or not the German word for one had an s in it.)

[Edit: Reason number 5,165,313 why I got a 1 on my German AP exam: The German word for one _does_ have an s at the end of it.

Warnings: Nothing much for this first chapter, unless you want me to tell you it'll probably leave you confused. XD Oh, and this has nothing whatsoever to do with the games.

Disclaimer: I don't own these guys, and at this point I think we're all relieved that I don't.

Summary: AU. AxelRoxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Eins_

_Roxas..._

The blond boy sleeping at his desk twitched slightly, eyelids fluttering but not opening. He may have been dreaming, or he may have been trying to respond to the soft voice.

_Fell asleep on your homework again? I guess some things will never change._

Roxas groaned softly and attempted to bury his face in his arms as if it would drown out the voice. A single piece of paper, half-covered in neat, precise handwriting, slipped off the edge of the desk and floated silently to the floor.

_Come on, I go through all this trouble to see you and you can't even wake up?_

Roxas groaned again, this time using his arms to cover his head entirely. His pen rolled slowly across the desk until it teetered on the edge as if it was debating the suicidal leap to the ground below.

_Fine, I'll go. But you're not getting away with this tomorrow night._

Roxas grunted something that may have been acknowledgement of the words. Then he sighed in sleepy relief at the ensuing silence, pillowing his head on his arms again. He almost failed to notice what appeared to be the sound of someone accidentally kicking his window as they tried to climb out. After a moment of hazy annoyance, he jumped up with a yelp—knee hitting the desk and finally knocking the indecisive pen down—and ran for the window. He searched desperately for a sign of red in the yard below him, but there was nothing.

He closed his windows violently and went back to his desk, picking up his pen and crumpled paper. He refused to wonder why the weight of a falling pen seemed to affect the paper the same way the weight of a full-grown man stepping on it did.

Of course there hadn't been anyone in the yard. There hadn't been anyone in his room to begin with.

* * *

A/N: Uh…review please? Or I'll…pout. Probably. I'll try to update this again in a few days, once I've gotten some (major) editing done on the next section. 


	2. Zwei

A/N: lolilied. Um. You know how I said this was going to be eight chapters long? I was wrong. It's actually going to be nine chapters—I'd completely forgotten about a particular scene because I'm stupid like that. D: Oh well. Here's the next chapter.

Warnings: Uh. Axel is a giant pedo? And a bad word. Yes, just one!

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, there'd have been more hot female bad guys. Just sayin'.

Summary: AU. AxelRoxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Zwei_

Axel was the friend of a cousin of one of Roxas' brother's multitude of friends. Roxas met him when Sora (his brother) dragged the blond away from his video games to hang out. Sora was always trying to get Roxas to be friendlier and do brotherly things with him, something that Roxas hated. Most of the time he would brush his twin off, especially when Sora was going out with Riku, as the two of them had never gotten along. But Roxas was actually rather fond of Riku's cousin. Demyx was a couple years older than them, and was almost always babbling inanely about whatever was on his mind without seeming to care if anyone was paying attention to him.

Roxas had naturally hated him at first. Then he'd found himself alone with the older boy, searching the town for Riku and Sora (who had wandered off alone as they always did). They'd run into Roxas' sworn enemy, Seifer, and the taller boy had promptly started making fun of Roxas for something the smaller boy was only starting to come to terms with about himself. He'd been more than happy to ignore Seifer, but Demyx had other ideas. The older blond had suddenly gone from his usual easygoing and childish self to something _else_. His eyes had narrowed, the friendly smile fading into a frightening scowl, and when he was done with Seifer the shocked boy had needed stitches.

Demyx would later admit (in great detail, much to Roxas' annoyance) that he was actually a terrible fighter, but Roxas appreciated that he would risk getting his ass kicked for him, and thought that Demyx was just this side of dangerous, and so he opened himself to the other's friendly advances. And since Demyx was in town that day when Sora decided to bother him, Roxas had let Sora drag him around with minimal complaints.

If he had known about the red-headed man ahead of time, he would probably have chained himself to his bed instead.

Axel was eighteen to his thirteen, with fresh tattoos, a wicked grin, and a lighter in his pocket. When Roxas met him, he immediately felt small and inconsequential. It wasn't just that Axel was tall (which he was), but he had _personality_. He was confident, charming, friendly, dangerous. Just plain _cool_. And Roxas was a quiet preteen with eyes like ice.

But then Axel grinned at him--_him_ and not Sora, who everybody immediately loved—and he stood a little straighter as if to tell Axel that he was worthy of attention. Axel's grin turned into something more of a smirk and he winked at Roxas before he threw an arm around Demyx' shoulders and demanded to see the sights.

Their unexpected friendship didn't really start until later that day, when the five of them sat at the top of Sunset Hill to watch the sun go down. Riku and Sora sat a small distance from where Roxas was sitting between Demyx and Axel. Demyx was sitting slightly to the side, humming contentedly to himself, but Axel was so close to Roxas that the younger boy could feel the heat from his body. Roxas was busy wondering how it was possible to feel so comfortable and so awkward at the same time when a hand fell heavily on his own and Axel leaned into his side, pressing their arms together and breathing in his ear.

"I bet I can make you melt," Axel whispered, voice low and seductive. Roxas' heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would burst, and he couldn't quite stop his blush, but he knew a challenge when he heard one.

"I'd like to see you try," he responded in his coldest voice, and turned his head to stare determinedly into Axel's eyes. Then he gulped nervously as Axel stared back with his cocky smirk, green eyes shining with something Roxas couldn't define. Axel shifted slightly and moved closer until their faces were an inch apart and Roxas could smell the cinnamon gum he'd been chewing most of the day. The blond was frozen in uncertainty, wondering what he was supposed to be doing as Axel's other hand, the one not already on his own, rose to cup his chin.

"Axel, what the hell are you doing?" Demyx' angry voice broke the spell and Roxas jerked his head back, flushing brightly. Axel grinned lazily up at his friend.

"Winning," he said simply.

"Axel, he's _thirteen_," Demyx snarled. "That's illegal! And I'm not just going to sit here and let you play with him. He's my friend, and he doesn't need you to—"

"Who said I was playing?" Axel hissed back, and Roxas was startled to see a pink tinge on his cheeks. "I'm not allowed to be interested in someone? Anyway, it's not like he was complaining."

"Axel," Demyx said uncertainly, but Axel had waved him off irritably and moved an acceptable distance to the side already, leaving nothing more to be said.

Roxas would never forget how cold he'd felt afterwards.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that ending worked so much better in a one-shot than as a chapter. …I can has review nao?

(Next chapter will be up some time between Thursday and next Tuesday. I'd say to bet on Tuesday.)


	3. Drei

A/N: Hey, I actually managed to get this up sooner rather than later! I'm so proud of myself. )

In other news, my cat just jumped into my trash can for no apparent reason. Yes, you all needed to know that.

Warnings: Roxas needs to wash his mouth out with soap. D:

Disclaimer: There's entirely too little homoerotic interaction between characters in the games for me to own them. Serious.

Summary: AU. AxelRoxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Drei_

The kitchen was freezing when Roxas wandered into it in search of a late-night snack. He ignored the cold and poked through the cabinets sleepily, hoping to find something simple like Pop Tarts so he wouldn't so much as have to use the microwave.

_You left them out on the table again._

Roxas spun around, eyes wide and frightened as he sought out the owner of the voice he had just heard. There was nobody there, but his box of Pop Tarts was indeed on the table. He figured he'd just been so tired he had made up the voice, and moved forward to open the box and sit down.

As soon as he was seated, a figure appeared in the chair across from him. It had hair like fire, eyes like absinthe, and a wicked, wicked grin.

_Hey, Roxas. Miss me much?_

Okay, so he was half asleep, eating at his kitchen table, and hallucinating that his dead best friend was talking to him from beyond the grave. He could deal with that. He was in mourning. People who were depressed could act pretty crazy, right? Right.

He pretended his hands weren't shaking as he tore apart the foil and stubbornly ignored the apparition.

_I go to all the trouble of haunting you and you won't even look at me? Come on, kid. You know you can't ignore me forever._

Roxas chewed his food and stared blankly down at the table. He needed some sleep. Badly. There was too much stress in his life to deal with this too. Damn Axel for invading his mind again, for always being there. For not being real.

He choked back a sudden onslaught of tears. Even if Axel wasn't really there, the man wasn't allowed to see him cry.

_I'm not going to leave you alone this time._

Roxas shot to his feet, knocking over his chair with a loud clatter, and slammed his hands on the table. He distantly noticed that the remaining Pop Tart was crushed under his palm, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he get rid of his insanity, find a way to make himself normal again. He glared at his delusion, putting all of his considerable anger and pain into the look, and stormed away with his mouth set in a thin, painful line.

He almost made it out.

_Are you really that mad at me, Roxas? Do you hate me now?_

The damnable voice sounded so distraught, so defeated, that Roxas had to spin around and scream that _no_ he didn't hate Axel, how could he think that after everything they'd been through; he was just so fucking angry at the world and so completely lost without his best friend that he'd started imagining his voice, driving himself crazy with what-ifs and whys, and Axel was the best goddamn thing that had ever happened to Roxas, and his dead ass had better not ever fucking forget that.

The words died in his throat when he saw the empty room where there was nothing but the breeze from the open window blowing his crumbs across the table.

He turned to the wall next to him and beat at it until there were holes where each of his hands hit and his knuckles were mangled and bleeding, staining the walls and the floor and his clothing, and he sank to his knees crying like he'd been holding the tears in since the day he was born, leaning over his clenched fists and not caring as his salty tears mingled with his blood, burning where they landed. And none of it mattered because Axel was fucking _gone_, he'd even scared off the man's goddamn_ghost_, and he'd still never had the bravery to tell Axel just how much he fucking _needed_ him, how much he'd always fucking needed him.

There was a feeling like a hand was rubbing his back, and the wind sounded like someone whispering soothing words to him, but he didn't believe in any of it and he didn't move.

* * *

A/N: You see those two paragraphs with the really obnoxiously long sentences? Yeah. They killed me. D: 


	4. Vier

A/N: Haha, sorry guys. I've been really distracted lately by way too much real-life stuff and haven't even been thinking about writing at all. I can't believe it's actually been twenty days since I've updated this thing. God, how pathetic is that? Sigh. Well, at any rate, I'm getting a new laptop soon, so hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things once it's all set up. (Also, for those wondering: the next chapter of _His Last Request_ is very much in the works, it's just slow-going.) Now let's just hope I don't take forever to update the next chapter…again.

Warnings: Underage drinking, oh noes! Oh, and some more bad words and Pedo!Axel. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

Disclaimer: Okay, here's the biggest hint that I don't own the games: they actually got completed. ALSO, IT'S TOTALLY NOT COOL TO DRINK WHEN YOU'RE UNDERAGE. Ya'll can go on and ignore that sentence now, since I know you will. XD

Summary: AU. AxelRoxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Vier_

On Roxas' sixteenth birthday, he got both his first taste of alcohol and his first real kiss. Both were presents from Axel, though Roxas only really treasured one of them and it wasn't the one that gave him a hangover.

Axel had moved to Twilight Town shortly after his twenty-first birthday, and lived in an apartment within walking distance from Roxas' house. He told everyone that he'd moved there because it was so completely different from the city that he'd grown up in that he figured it would be the best place to get away from the memory of his recently-deceased parents, though Roxas thought the real reason had something to do with him. He pretty much lived off all the money his parents had left him and the money he'd gained from selling his house and his car. But Axel wasn't the type to sit around his house all day, so he was always out doing odd jobs for whoever needed an extra hand. When he wasn't working and Roxas wasn't in school, the two of them were nearly inseparable. So it was really no surprise to anyone when, after the party was over, Axel demanded to take the birthday boy home with him.

Roxas' mother was only too happy to agree, charmed by the young man like everyone else despite the ink in his face and the fire in his hand.

They walked to Axel's apartment together, pretending to argue the entire way. Every so often they would bump into each other or break out in laughter, and it was all perfectly normal until they got inside. Axel told him to find the bedroom and make himself at home because he was about to get a surprise. Roxas did as he was told, and wondered if Axel had gotten him a stripper or something. Roxas didn't know what he would do with a stripper, and the concept of watching a woman undress for his pleasure scared him. He really wasn't interested.

When Axel sauntered in, he was thankfully alone, though carrying two bottles in his hand. Roxas stared at them, unaccountably nervous.

"Have you ever drunk before?" Axel asked, smirking like he already knew the answer. He sat beside Roxas, so close that their thighs pressed against each other, and shoved a bottle into his uncertain hands.

Roxas shook his head slowly, and wondered if most kids his age knew the taste of alcohol already. Even Sora had come home drunk once, an equally drunk Riku holding him up until they'd crashed into Sora's bedroom.

"Start with small sips," Axel instructed him as he twisted off the top of his own bottle before reaching over and removing Roxas' when his friend didn't move. "You'll be choking if you gulp it. It burns like hell until you get used to it."

Roxas nodded uncertainly and lifted his bottle, hesitating when it reached his lips and he could smell the alcohol. He glared at Axel out of the corner of his eye when the redhead snickered, and resisted the urge to gulp just to spite him. Axel might be laughing at him now, but at least he'd given him a warning before he made a fool of himself. He sipped slowly and winced as the liquid burned its way down his throat, and then breathed in the cool air in an attempt to relieve the pain. It didn't work very well.

Axel patted his back soothingly and took a practiced swig out of his own bottle. Roxas glared at him for making it look so easy, like the older man made everything seem easy. Axel chuckled.

"We don't have to drink if you don't want to," he said softly, rubbing the back of his head in a way that would have been sheepish if it had been anyone else. "Some people don't really get into it. Thought I'd get the embarrassing first time over for you, but if you don't like it…."

Roxas gave Axel an exasperated smile, feeling touched and annoyed all at once, and braved another sip. It wasn't quite as bad this time, and he tried to focus more on the taste than the burn. At least that was good.

"That's it!" Axel crowed, punching a fist in the air excitedly. "I'll make an alcoholic out of you yet!"

Roxas rolled his eyes and laughed, knocking back another sip of alcohol. He could feel Axel's eyes on him while he tried to adjust to the burn, and when he looked over Axel raised his bottle for a toast.

"To peer pressure!" he smirked. Roxas kicked him.

"To friendship," he corrected, giving Axel a gentle smile. Axel smiled back, a truer smile than his usual wild grin, and they clunked their bottles together, mirroring each other perfectly as they drank.

It wasn't long before Roxas was drunk, though Axel only remained rather tipsy. They were leaning on each other comfortably, and eventually fell into a content silence. Axel had an arm around Roxas' shoulders, and was staring down at the shorter boy.

"Do you remember the day we met?" Axel asked almost wistfully. "When we were sitting on the top of Sunset Hill, waiting for the sun to disappear?"

"Yeah," Roxas responded, staring blearily up at him. "You scared the fuck out of me."

"Oh?" Axel's voice was softer than Roxas had ever heard it before. "I guess I did come on to you pretty strongly, especially considering how young you were. Are."

"S'okay. I wanted you to kiss me."

Axel's grip on his shoulder was suddenly too strong, and Roxas shifted uncomfortably. He could feel Axel gulp as Roxas put a hand on his thigh to brace himself, and then he was suddenly on his back with Axel's face hovering inches above his own. The look in his eyes was back, the same indefinable one from three years and a lifetime ago.

"Do you still want me to kiss you?" His voice sounded strained, as if he was holding back something painful.

"Yes," Roxas said firmly, not needing to consider the question because he'd thought of that almost-kiss every day since. With uncertain movements, he buried his hands in Axel's gravity-defying spikes and tugged gently. Axel made a strangled noise and practically dove for his mouth, hands running down his body. Roxas gasped and arched upwards instinctually; Axel moaned and pressed him into the bed, hands finding a home with fingertips digging into Roxas' hips, and there was something desperate in the way Axel's tongue pushed against his own, and something even more desperate in the way Axel pulled harshly away from him a moment later and stared down at him with wide, almost frightened eyes.

"What the fuck have you done to me, Roxas?" he whispered hoarsely, and bolted out of the room. Roxas had no idea what the man was talking about, too dazed by the alcohol and the intensity of that all-to-brief moment, and all he could do was whimper pitifully at the lack of Axel's touch.

When Axel calmly walked back in a little bit later, Roxas was asleep. The boy almost woke up when Axel slid in next to him, but the redhead didn't talk and he was soon asleep again, laying half on top of Axel and half on the bed.

When they got up the next morning, both of them acted like nothing had happened. Axel laughed as Roxas experienced his first hangover; Roxas threw something at him as soon as he had the ability to lift his arm again. It was blessedly normal, neither of them willing or able to let anything get in the way of their friendship.

But Roxas couldn't help but replay the scene through his head over and over again, and wonder if it was really so bad that it had felt so right for them to be lost in each other.

* * *

A/N: I just want you to know that the third paragraph in is totally my favorite line in this entire damn story, except maybe the ending line I have planned. The second paragraph, on the other hand, makes me want to stab something. Preferably the paragraph itself. Or maybe that'd just the lack of sleep talking.


	5. Fuenf

A/N: Heh. Sorry, guys. I was punishing myself and not letting myself post this until I'd finished chapter seven of _His Last Request_, but I'm happy to say I've at least finally managed to do that. And then for the past few days I've been all sad because I'm not getting any reviews on it, and then I was sort of doing these requests on livejournal (there's a community called khrequest there, and I started requesting fics from people and then felt like a dick for never offering to trade except this one time, so I figured it was time to let people request from me and yeah), so I've been pretty distracted. XD But here's chapter five! I'm not posting the next chapter until I manage to get chapter seven written up, so send me lots of encouragement, 'kay?

Warnings: Nothing really for this one.

Disclaimer: loldon'townthem

Summary: AU. Axel/Roxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Fünf_

_I'm sorry about last night._

Roxas sighed deeply and rolled onto his side, away from the direction the voice was coming from, wincing when his hand brushed against the mattress. He tried not to notice the feel of a familiar body pressed against his back, and closed his eyes to the sight of pale, nearly translucent, hands lifting his into the air.

_I wanted to see you again. I didn't think what it would do to you to see me, you know how I am. I'm sorry._

"I don't believe in ghosts, Axel," Roxas said shakily. "You're just a dream or something. You're not real."

He could feel gentle hands turning him back over, the bed shifting as Axel moved over him, straddling his waist and placing his hands at either side of his head. Roxas told himself that it wasn't real, that all of this was just his mind trying to find a way to cope with reality.

_If I'm just a dream, why are you fighting me? Why not just enjoy what you can have of me? I'm haunting you, Roxas. One way or another._

"If you're a ghost," Roxas began slowly, desperately regaining himself—ice eyes and ice voice, totally apathy—"then what's your unfinished business?"

_You are._

Roxas' eyes widened in disbelief, and he could only watch as Axel's face lowered to his, so painfully familiar. He stared into the green eyes, wanting this as much as he ever had, and couldn't move for the life of him.

He knew the wicked smirk that came after, the throaty chuckle, the feel of Axel's hand on his face. The almost-touching of the lips, the smell of cinnamon, the goddamn intoxication….

_What do you say? Care for some necrophilia?_

Roxas didn't recognize the sound he made as he shoved Axel off of himself, or the way his heart twisted because he'd denied himself something that he had wanted for five fucking years. He fell to his knees on the floor by his bed, a gasping sob ripping from his throat, and scrambled desperately away, unable to explain to himself or to Axel just why he couldn't let any of this happen.

_What about your fucking _promise_, Roxas? What about forever?_

The redhead's voice echoed behind him as he struggled with the locks on the front door, sounding so angry and hurt that he knew he couldn't leave, and he punched the door once, futilely, and fell back to the floor crying until he couldn't breathe.

Long arms wrapped around Roxas' body, and the blond boy found he couldn't fight any longer. He turned around and buried his face in Axel's chest, clinging desperately to him as he cried and choked out apologies and begged requests for Axel to never leave him again.

_Roxas. I'm sorry. Don't run—just don't push me away, don't ever forget me…. I love you._

Roxas fell asleep in his arms, and didn't wonder in the morning how he'd woken up in his bed.

* * *

A/N: So, uh, yeah. I'll try really really hard to get the next chapter up sooner than a month from now—I have been writing a lot lately, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this damn thing up. Yay and now I can have reviews? :D


	6. Sechs

A/N: Oh Jesus, it's the long chapter. At around 1,500 words, this is the longest chapter in the entire story here—it's actually two separate scenes, but they're both from the 'past' part and deal directly with each other, and therefor can't be split into sections. (Anyway, if I did that, I'd have run out of present sections.) Hopefully I'll be able to convince myself to actually write the last three chapters soon. xx

Also, I have absolutely no excuse for the time it took me to post this chapter. I'm really frickin' sorry.

Warnings: Homophobia, yup.

Disclaimer: EVERYTHING IN HERE IS MINE. Except, you know, the things that aren't. Like Roxas. And Axel. I wish I owned an Axel, though.

Summary: AU. Axel/Roxas. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but that doesn't keep him from being haunted.

* * *

_Sechs_

Axel bought himself a motorcycle on his twenty-second birthday, a few months after he'd gotten Roxas drunk. He showed up on Roxas' doorstep with an extra helmet, grinning more wildly than ever as he offered Roxas a ride to school. Roxas grinned back and dropped his skateboard to the ground, and suffered through Axel putting his helmet on for him.

"Put your arms around my waist and lean into me," Axel ordered as he straddled the bike and gestured for Roxas to climb on behind him. "_Don't_ let go. I don't want to explain to your mom how I killed her son."

"If I was dumb enough to let go, I'd have deserved to die," Roxas laughed, giving Axel a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Come on. I can't wait for the look on everyone's faces when they see this."

Axel returned the laugh and twisted his key, speeding away so fast that Roxas had to substitute a death grip on Axel's waist for the scream he wanted to let out. He could practically feel the older man's amusement, and forced himself to loosen his grip. He didn't want Axel to know that he was scared.

People stared as they pulled up to the front of the school, girls nudging each other and giggling behind their hands as guys stared enviously at them.

Roxas clambered off the bike, fighting the urge to grin as he took off his helmet and turned back to Axel. Axel took off his own helmet, grinning enough for both of them, and Roxas could swear he heard the onslaught of gossip staring already.

"The helmet's yours," Axel said, and Roxas couldn't suppress the small smile that crept up on his face. "Get Sora to bring any homework you have for the weekend home with him. I'll pick you up after school and steal you until tomorrow. Your mom's already agreed, as long as I get you home before dinner." He reached forward and pulled Roxas into a one-armed hug, patting at his back heavily. Roxas, well used to Axel's shows of affection, patted him back just as hard before jogging off for his first class.

The rides soon became habit for both of them. Axel would always be waiting for him, and Roxas would always head straight over, hardly paying attention to whoever he was with at the time. They spent almost every weekend together—sometimes just hanging around Axel's apartment, sometimes taking the bike out to see the group of people Demyx still hung out with.

One day, Roxas approached the bike still talking with a girl in his English class that he was working on a project with. Namine was a quiet girl that always faded into the background in both personality and looks, and she'd had a crush on Roxas for as long as anyone could remember. Roxas liked her well enough, and didn't think anything of it whenever she touched his arm as she talked. But Axel stared at her as if he wanted to rip her apart.

"Who was she?" Axel asked harshly when Namine was far enough away that she wouldn't hear. Roxas resisted the urge to smile at him in fond amusement.

"Just a girl I'm doing a project with," he said instead, shrugging disinterestedly. "Why? You jealous?"

Axel grabbed Roxas' arm and yanked him forward so that their faces were an inch apart and Roxas had to put a hand on Axel's chest to keep himself from falling over. "Maybe I am," he'd whispered, voice low, and then pulled Roxas into a harsh kiss before the other could respond. Roxas relaxed into it immediately, pressing forward until his fingers were in Axel's hair again, and Axel's arm was tight around his waist.

Axel pulled slowly away with a chuckle, gazing deeply into Roxas' dazed eyes. "Guess I shouldn't have been," he murmured, moving away completely and putting his helmet on in one fluid motion. "Come on. Your mom'll kill me if I don't get you home soon. I'll just climb through your window tonight. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied, and couldn't keep the ridiculous grin off his face as he climbed up behind Axel.

Their relationship was the talk of the school for the next few weeks. Axel and Roxas parted every morning with a deep kiss, both of Roxas' arms around Axel's neck while Axel wrapped one arm around Roxas' waist. They greeted each other every afternoon with a much smaller kiss before they sped off together.

* * *

From being pretty much ignored in school, Roxas suddenly found himself under attack. He ignored the taunts from the student body throughout the day, and never mentioned his sudden difficulty with his peers to Axel. None of it really bothered him anyway; he only cared that his brother and the few friends he had stuck by him.

It was probably this disinterest in his peers that made him unprepared for the attack.

Roxas was rushing to meet Axel while he and Namine talked about the project they had due the next Monday, and so hadn't been paying much attention to anything going on in the nearly empty halls around him. He didn't realize until it was too late that the two of them were being followed by a few of his worst tormentors, and he didn't have a chance to struggle when two boys grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back. His head snapped to the side as a fist immediately connected with his face, and he noticed dazedly that the four of them were surrounded by a tight circle of people who were obviously there to keep anyone that may be passing by from interrupting. He was relieved to note that Namine had been pushed outside of it, but then his attention was pulled back to the kid that had hit him when the other started snarling.

"Pay attention to me, fag!" Roxas glared at the boy and tried to remember his name. Pete or something. Roxas hardly knew him, just that he was one of Sora's few enemies and probably the biggest coward he'd ever known. "I think it's time someone taught you a lesson."

Roxas just glared up at him coldly, knowing that his icy stare always unnerved people. And sure enough, the larger boy gulped nervously before gathering himself and landing a meaty fist in Roxas' gut.

"Think I'm scared of you, twerp? I could kick your little freak ass in a second."

"Only because you've got your cronies holding my arms," Roxas sneered, knowing it was stupid to make fun of someone that was beating him up, but unable to stop himself. Pete responded with a growl and another punch in the face. Roxas promptly spit blood on his shirt and scowled.

"How fucking _dare_--"

"Roxas!" Axel's voice interrupted from outside the circle, and Roxas couldn't stop himself from smirking as the tall redhead plowed straight through the kids trying to hold him back. Vibrant green eyes took the scene in with a glance, and Axel first ignored Pete in favor of the people holding Roxas, rushing forward and landing a heavy punch on the larger one's face. The other kid let go immediately, backing up in fear, and Roxas stumbled when his arms were so suddenly released, but Axel caught him before he could fall.

"Hey," Roxas said, grabbing hold of Axel's shirt to steady himself and staring up at the man's serious face. "Good timing."

"You okay?" Axel asked gently, gingerly touching Roxas' bruised cheek. There was fire in his eyes when Roxas winced in pain and opened his mouth to respond. Axel put a finger to Roxas' lips to keep him from speaking, pushed the blond away gently until he was standing on his own, and then turned slowly to face Pete.

"What?" Pete sneered stupidly, sealing his undesirable fate. "You want a beating too? You and your little whore could have matching bruises."

Axel snapped. There was really no other way to put it. One second he was raising a hand to gesture as he snarled something poisonous, and the next he had practically leapt on Pete, knocking the hefty boy into some lockers and sinking his fists into any body part he could get to. Roxas just watched in something like awe until Axel eventually pulled away and let Pete curl up on the floor pathetically.

"This is a warning, and I want you little shits to spread this as far as you can!" Axel yelled, spinning around to glare at the assortment of people surrounding him. He seemed to exude a frightening aura of anger and power as he sliced his hands through the air. "If anyone so much as thinks about touching Roxas again, I swear on every god I know of that their fucking parents won't recognize them when I'm through. And don't think I'll hesitate just because you're under age, or that I won't manage to find out."

He strode back over to Roxas and swept the slight boy off his feet, cradling him against his chest. Roxas didn't protest at being lifted into the air, though he'd usually be annoyed at Axel for doing anything similar. Instead he reached up and pulled Axel into a deep kiss, ignoring the pain in his face in favor of letting Axel know how much he loved him without having to say anything ridiculously sappy.

When they pulled apart, Axel's eyes were soft again, and Roxas smiled happily. This was what living was about.

* * *

A/N: FINALLY. Please excuse any mistakes, I edited this after two long days of work that utterly exhausted me. D: Oh well. Hope you enjoyed it, despite the length. The next three chapters should be short again!


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